LatAmOil - Latin America Oil & Gas

Argentina’s Federal Police uncover wide-ranging pipeline theft scheme

Argentinian authorities have uncovered a wide-ranging scheme to siphon crude oil from a pipeline that supplies the country’s three largest refineries.

Mexican oil output hits record low of 1.6mn bpd in July

Crude oil output in Mexico hit a record low of 1.605mn barrels per day (bpd) in July, putting the country on track to register its lowest oil production in nearly half a century.

AMEXHI head: Mexico’s oil and gas stimulus plan not likely to favour private sector

The Mexican government's new plan for boosting the energy sector is unlikely to include any new exploration or production projects that would be open to private or foreign oil firms, according to the head of a local industry group.

Brazil’s lower house approves text of bill to open up gas market

The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Brazil’s National Congress, has greenlighted the basic text of legislation that provides for opening up the country’s natural gas market to more private competition.

Stena Drilling wins contract for exploration drilling at Block 47

Aberdeen-based Stena Drilling revealed last week that it had won a contract from Tullow Oil (UK/Ireland) for exploration drilling at Block 47 offshore Suriname.

NRG: A sense of uncertainty

World oil markets have regained some ground, but the industry continues to experience conflict on a number of fronts.

RdK sues PdVSA in US court

Refineria di Korsou (RdK), the government-run operator of Curaçao’s only oil-processing plant, has taken legal action against Venezuela’s national oil company (NOC) PdVSA in a US court.

Açu Petroleo files IPO plan

Açu Petroleo, the operator of an offshore terminal at the Brazilian port of Açu, has said it intends to launch an initial public offering (IPO) of stock.

Pemex begins negotiating unitisation deal for another offshore site

Mexico’s Energy Ministry (SENER) has revealed that Pemex, the national oil company (NOC), is in negotiations with Hokchi Energy on joint development of an offshore oil reservoir in the Gulf of Mexico.

CNH approves two exploration drilling projects

Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission, known by its Spanish acronym CNH, gave two companies the green light to move forward with exploration drilling projects last week.

Argentina strikes a different note on the Falklands

Argentina may allow IOCs that have worked in disputed waters around the Falklands to participate in new offshore bidding rounds under certain conditions.

Angola emphasises exploration

Angola wants oil production to remain at or above 1mn bpd until 2040 – and it wants to expand exploration activity to achieve this aim.

Colombian businessman detained on charges related to Iranian fuel shipments for Venezuela

A Colombian businessman has been detained on charges of serving as a special envoy of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in negotiations with Iran on the delivery of gasoline and refinery parts and equipment.

Golar Power shows strong interest in Brazilian LNG terminal

The head of Golar Power, a 50:50 JV between Bermuda-headquartered Golar LNG and New York-listed Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, said last week that his company was “very interested” in leasing Brazil's Bahia LNG terminal.

NRG: Risks to stability

Official: Vaca Muerta production could take 18 months to recover

It could take up to a year and a half for activity at Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation to return to the levels prevailing prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, an Argentinian official has warned.

ExxonMobil pressing Guyana to approve third offshore oil project

The US super-major ExxonMobil is reportedly pressing the government of Guyana to green-light its plan for the development of a third section of the offshore Stabroek block.

Industry group says Colombia could attract $715mn in private investment

Colombia has a chance of securing more than $700mn worth of investment from private oil and gas firms before the end of this year, according to the Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP), a local industry group.

Mexico seen close to granting Sempra new LNG export facility permit

The Mexican government has reportedly asked IEnova, the local unit of US-based Sempra Energy, to build another export facility at the Energía Costa Azul LNG facility to help sell off excess natural gas.

ExxonMobil cuts production at Liza-1 again

The US super-major ExxonMobil has ramped oil production back down at the Stabroek block offshore Guyana, following the discovery of new problems with gas compression equipment.

Canadian company hoping to push Mexican onshore projects forward

Renaissance Oil (Canada) is looking to push forward with upstream development projects in Mexico, despite the setbacks it has suffered this year as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other factors.

Brazil presses charges against former Maersk executive over alleged Petrobras bribe

Prosecutors in Brazil have pressed charges against two people for allegedly obtaining confidential market information from state run oil and gas major Petrobras to benefit Danish-based A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company.

Brazil postpones two offshore bidding rounds

Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has pushed back two upcoming rounds of auctions for offshore exploration blocks owing to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

NRG: Looking to the future

Although rattled by the international oil and gas price collapse, governments and investors continue to press forward – either through new legislation or new projects

Argentina replaces energy secretary as oil and gas industry struggles

The government of Argentina has reportedly replaced Energy Secretary Sergio Lanziani with a legislator from hydrocarbon-rich Neuquen Province, as the oil and gas sector struggles with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.